Kelly Clarkson Revealed She Never Received Her Prize From Winning American Idol In 2002
During an interview on her award-winning talk show, Kelly Clarkson revealed that 24 years after winning American Idol, she actually came up empty-handed.
Clarkson was interviewing Rob Rausch, who had just won the reality competition series The Traitors, when she asked how he felt when he got his winnings of over $220,000. When he revealed he hadn’t received the money yet, Clarkson said she could relate!
As we all know, Clarkson was the first-ever winner of American Idol in 2002 and the winner was promised a brand-new Ford Mustang and a $1 million check.
“I literally was on the show, and they were like, ‘Oh, you win a million dollars’ or whatever. No, you didn’t. They lied. You did not. It was, like, a million dollars worth of investment in you,” she revealed to Rausch and her other guest, Daniel Radcliffe. “They said you get a car, and I needed it ‘cause my car was bashed in, and I couldn’t afford the deductible. I did not get a car. And then Clay Aiken, who didn’t win the second season, got a car.”
She added that the show gifted Aiken’s mom a new car as well.
“I was like, ‘What the f–k?’” Kelly said. “I remember Clay telling me that the second season, he’s like, ‘Yeah, they gave my mom one.’ I was like, ‘I’m gonna actually kick your ass right now.’”
While she doesn’t need the million dollars or the car, it’s still the principle!
A Fellow Idol Champion Reached Out To Kelly
Taylor Hicks won Season Five of American Idol, and he is shooting his shot with Clarkson in a flirtatious manner.
“I am a big fan of Kelly Clarkson and consider her one of the most incredible voices to emerge from American Idol. I would be more than happy to help her find a new Mustang,” Page Six revealed he said flirtatiously.
Page Six reached out to Clarkson’s rep for comment, but didn’t hear back.
Whether the flirty comment might be in jest or not, he appeared on her talk show most recently in 2023, performing his song “Porch Swing.”
Hicks posted a screenshot of People‘s coverage of his flirty comment and used the caption, “Just waiting on a call @kellyclarkson”